Eczema is a fairly common skin condition that can be caused by a variety of things – from cleaning products and rubber gloves to hand soap and some lotions and creams. Roughly 1-2% of adults are believed to have eczema while it’s far more common in children, occurring in the area of 20% of children although it usually clears up by the age of three.

Types of Eczema

The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis which occurs in about 3% of adults and 10% of infants. Studies have shown atopic dermatitis is most likely hereditary as opposed to environmentally triggered.

Contact eczema is generally caused by coming into contact with something that irritates the skin such as cheap metal in costume jewelry, reactions to cleaning detergents used for clothes or bed sheets and even poison oak or ivy. Contact eczema is usually localized to whatever part of the body came into contact with the irritant and generally only lasts a few hours.

The cause of seborrheic eczema isn’t currently known, but the general theory is infrequent shampooing, weather conditions, stress and oily skin can either cause the condition or irritate it.

Nummular eczema mostly presents in elderly men and tends to be a chronic condition. It’s less common than other forms of eczema. Asthma, allergies and atopic dermatitis can make a person more susceptible to developing this condition.

Recognizing Eczema

Many people wonder, what does eczema look like? While the typical signs of eczema are itchy, inflamed red skin that is flaky and dry, other signs of eczema include burning or extremely itchy skin. More advanced signs of eczema include thick, crusted skin in the effected area from scratching and blisters or lesions.

The area of the body affected depends of the type of eczema. Contact eczema symptoms will appear on whatever part of the body that came into contact with the irritant while other types of eczema will generally appear on the face, neck, ankles, elbows or knees.

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